


A Dance with Death

by Letterhead



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Not quite Angel Bashing, Season 2 AU, UST, but almost
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:00:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22083019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Letterhead/pseuds/Letterhead
Summary: Frustrated at her stagnant relationship with Angel, Buffy seeks to make him jealous by dancing with a studly guy she meets at the Bronze. Little does she realize he's not just any guy, and he's out for revenge against her boyfriend.
Relationships: Spike/Buffy Summers
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	A Dance with Death

The music was pounding, loud enough to shake the decidedly virgin drink glasses on their table. Loud enough that all Buffy could feel was the buzz of her eardrums and the tingleless expanse of her bare neck. Yes, she went backless with her dress, and it was probably illegal in some country, but Buffy wanted to look amazing.

Angel was supposed to come to the Bronze tonight, but he hadn't shown. He hadn't been showing up a lot lately. Her dress felt wasted.

"You sure he's coming tonight?" Willow shouted over the band. "Maybe he thought ‘this Friday’, I don't know, meant next Friday?" 

"Ch, he's probably off suffering somewhere, polishing that great big noggin of his..." Xander mumbled to himself, though Buffy could still hear him. It rankled her, but she couldn't deny Angel was... was it okay to call a seriously old vampire ‘flakey’? Maybe ‘ghosty’, that was at least... dead. He appeared when he wanted and vanished the next minute. It was starting to get a little old. 

Buffy shrugged Angel’s leather jacket off and placed it over the back of her chair. It was too hot in the Bronze for a jacket anyway, she'd only wanted him to see her wearing it, but he probably wasn't even going to show. 

"Forget him," Xander added. "He doesn't know what he's missing out on." 

"Xan..." Willow began to scold him, but Buffy took that moment to stand up from her seat. Willow quieted and Xander gawked. 

"No, he's right. Forget him," Buffy agreed, keeping her voice as low as could possibly still be heard. "I came tonight to have fun, not mope around waiting for some old vamp. I'm dancing." 

Buffy then strode to the dance floor, pushing her way through to the center and twirling around on herself. 

But behind a pillar, unseen to Buffy, a man smiled widely. To himself, he muttered darkly, “Old vamp Angel, ey?" 

-

William the Bloody turned to look at the young blonde, a predatory gleam in his icy eyes. 

He watched the girl dance, enthralling a small crowd of men on the dance floor. She almost looked oblivious to the attention her lithe form garnered, but there, there was a little smirk that showed she was enjoying herself. Enjoying showing off. She had an aura about her that made Spike's fangs itch as nostalgia hit him hard in the gut. She had that flavor about her that screamed 'Slayer' loud and clear to anyone willing to listen, and wasn't that just dandy?

Spike had come to kill his grandsire. To get his mojo back after Dru... well, after the sorry, sordid affair that was her kicking it. Ten years before she'd thought she'd seen Angelus in a crowded grotto in Spain and ran out of their flat to greet him. 

All she'd ended up greeting was the sun. 

He'd been so angry, so ready to run out after her and turn to ash as well, but Spike knew who to blame. Angel, that bastard, had warped Dru's sad little mind so far that she couldn't even fend for herself. 

And now Angel had to pay for what he'd done.

Funny thing, fate. Spike had come to the shit hole town to find Angel, but what he found instead was the Slayer. Not just a Slayer, but one who seemed pretty wrapped around his grandsire's finger.

It seemed fate was setting it all up for Spike to knock them down. ‘Two birds with one stone’, as they say. Kill the girl, kill Angelus, and have a really great day. 

He just had to smoke the girl off the dance floor. 

It wasn't easy. The music was so loud she didn't hear him suggest there might be a vamp in the alley to some random bloke. No, Spike had to go to her. 

Not like it was any imposition. 

-

  
Buffy saw him approach from the edge of the dance floor like a predatory cat. He circled her then came in for the kill. 

What was the kill? 

"Care to dance, love?" he asked lowly, tilting his head just so as he admired her. His hand came out to beckon her, waiting for her. He was so cool, in black leather and denim and god, was she really going to fall over herself for him?

Buffy placed her hand in his and felt an electric jolt down her spine. God yes, she was going to fall over herself, if she didn't fall on blondie first. 

The moment his hands touched the skin of her back, Buffy knew she was in trouble. Big trouble. 

"Like the frock, cutie," she heard him say against the shell of her ear as he pulled her into a rhythmic sway. Buffy couldn't help but put her hands on his chest, fingers sliding against the dark leather of his jacket. She was almost too distracted by what she was finding underneath - a firm chest of tense muscle nearly hidden by the void of his layered black clothing. God, like, was she into goths now? Was this how it happened? Studly goths just appeared at random in clubs? Or was he even goth? 

"H-huh?" Buffy looked up, realizing he'd said something and her mind had been miles away.

He gave her an indulgent grin that set her heart racing and chuckled deeply, the rumble of his chest resonating against her hands. She couldn't help but look at his lips, they looked... could you tell how someone kissed just by the shape of their lips? Because if you could, well, this guy probably could kiss like a god. 

Again, Buffy's mind was whirring at uncontrolled levels. She blushed scarlet, and that seemed to please her almost illegally sexy dance partner. 

"Such a lovely pink," he purred in her ear, the faint wisps of his accent making Buffy's spine race with electricity. His hand slowly inched down the exposed expanse of her back to the crisscrossing straps, fingering them gently. 

"Oh god," Buffy moaned quietly, her voice swallowed by the loud thumping bass.

Distantly, Buffy felt her neck tingle in a familiar way, the way it always did when Angel was somewhere lurking. Did he finally show up, four hours late? Buffy checked the perimeter of the dance floor but couldn't see him. Maybe it was some other vamp, or maybe he was in the shadows slulking like he usually did.

Well, Buffy could at least give him a show. Make him a little jealous.

She turned her head to look up at her partner, smiling up at him as she rolled her hips against his in rhythm with the music. He groaned appreciatively, gripping her tighter in his arms.

"That's it, love," he coaxed her, bringing his hands up from her hips to guide her hands around his neck. Buffy was now leaning her whole body against him and she desperately wanted more, more of anything he would give. 

"You're a good dancer," Buffy hummed lamely in his ear, realizing too late how silly she must sound. 

He didn't seem to mind much though, just held her a little tighter. 

"Wanna dance for real, little girl?" he grinned down at her, showing his teeth like a predator. 

Buffy felt like fire danced through her veins. She'd never felt this attracted to a guy before. Screw making Angel jealous or blowing off some steam, she wanted this guy, now.

"Totally, blondie." She smiled back, grabbing his hand and yanking him towards the rear exit. The loss of contact was made even more stark as the chill of the alley hit her, but Buffy wasn't cold for long.

Buffy pushed the Brit against the brick wall of the Bronze, grabbing the lapels of his duster and gripping tight. 

"Sl..." His voice was swallowed as Buffy attacked him with her lips, pulling him just so down to meet her. She heard him groan in surprise as she opened her lips to him, then nibbled on his full bottom lip. His tongue hesitantly slipped past her lips and she eagerly sucked on it. He tasted like alcohol and smoke and danger, everything she always said she was never into - bad boys. God, and she was bad too. She didn't even know this guy's name! Buffy was no skank, but she felt kind of... skanky... and it didn't seem so bad, especially if they were both getting what they wanted. 

Buffy released him with a wet smack, keeping him tight between her body and the wall. He was staring down at her lips, hungrily looking for more. Well, Buffy could provide... in just a second.

"Buffy," she offered almost shyly. It felt weird to introduce yourself to someone after getting familiar with their tongue. 

"Whassat?" he murmured deliriously. 

Buffy giggled and leaned fully against him. "My name, Buffy. What's yours?" 

"Spike," he replied, then seemed to come back to himself. He grinned, rolling his tongue behind his teeth in a sinful way. "And aren't you a surprise." He then leaned down for more. 

"Wait," Buffy rebuffed his kiss. "I hope you know I'm not... not usually like this...?" 

"Not usually throwing yourself on every bloke you dance with?" he filled in, settling his hands on her. Buffy could feel his fingers impatiently against her lower back. 

"Not even close," she agreed. 

"'M special then." Spike seemed to preen at that. 

"Yeah," Buffy sighed, leaning even closer. Hesitantly, she kissed his jaw up to his ear, nibbling on his earlobe like he'd done to her. 

"More special than that Angel bloke?" 

That sent ice water over everything. 

"You... you heard that?" Buffy asked.

"Couldn't help but." 

"It's just, it's just... he was kind of... " Buffy struggled to find the words to describe the disaster that her fling with Angel was becoming. "Ugh, can we just kiss more? I want you, and I don't want to think about him." 

Spike's eyes seemed to darken at that, and the inpatient grip on her back became bruising as he slipped down to grasp her hips. 

"That right, pet?" he murmured roughly against her temple. 

Guh. 

"Uhuh," she replied. 

Spike turned her against the wall and slammed her back against the brick, sealing their lips in a bruising kiss that had Buffy's whole body alight. Spike's tongue was flicking out to meet hers, sending shockwaves of arousal down her spine, his fingers grasping her hard enough to feel his nails through the fabric. Buffy's brain was shorting. What was her name? Where was she? It didn't matter as long as he kept doing what he was doing with his mouth. 

About the time he lifted her off her feet Buffy begin to realize something was strange. The guy was built, wickedly strong, and while that was making Buffy hot in all the right places he didn't look like the kind of guy who could easily heft 130 pounds like it was tissue paper. 

"Spike...?" Buffy half asked and half moaned as Spike left her lips and began mouthing her collarbone, his hands anxiously kneading the sides of her hips. 

The gleam of his yellow eyes greeted her, and instantly Buffy's lust gave way to her Slayer instincts. Buffy pushed Spike away, hard, and he landed ten feet away on a pile of black trash bags. She winced as the sound of breaking glass filled the alley. 

And as she expected, Spike vamped out, his features cracking and morphing into a ridged mask of anger. 

"Fuck!" Spike growled, standing quickly from where he'd landed, dusting his leather coat off before turning to her.

"I can't believe this is happening again," Buffy huffed, hiding her face behind her hair as she reached for the stake strapped to her thigh. Tears were threatening. Why couldn't a normal human bad boy be interested in her? Why did all the bad boys turn out to he literally villains? 

"What is wrong with you, Slayer?" he asked roughly, wiping a stream of blood from his nose where he'd cracked against the pavement. 

"You know I'm the Slayer?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "Actually, of course you do, but what's with the seduction act? Couldn't you like, not string me along and skip straight to me beating your ass?"

"Plans change," Spike replied quickly. "Somedays a man starts dancing thinking he wants to kill a girl and walks out wanting something else." He rolled his neck then slowly changed back into his handsome face, leveling his icy blue gaze at her. "I didn't even come to this sodding town looking for you, I came here for Angelus." 

"Angel...? Why?" Buffy crossed her arms, keeping the stake pointed towards him. "He may be a lousy boyfriend but he's a vegetarian now."

"Vegetarian?" Spike blinked, then grimaced. "Blimey, I don't care about his diet you bint, I care about sticking his massive head on a pike. I want to strip his bones from his body beat him blue with them!"

"What the hell did he do to you?" Buffy stared wide eyed, feeling the instinct to back away. The vamp in front of her was distraught, his eyes wet and teeth clenched like he was about to sob or throw something. He looked dangerous and emotional, always a minefield for a vampire.

"He made my sire," he replied, his anguish making Buffy shiver violently, “he made her and made her wrong, and now she's done and offed herself." Spike picked up a bottle off the ground and threw it to the brick of the Bronze, shattering it into millions of shards that fell to Buffy's feet. "He has a lot to answer for!"

"Whoa, whoa..." Buffy held her hands out, inching back towards the door. She had to placate him, had to get out of there and get away. If Spike was Angel's family he must be very old. Mix that with emotional and half-crazed, Buffy wasn't sure she could handle this alone. 

Not right now. Not after another possible fling had been ruined by vampirism. Stupid vampirism. 

"She died? I'm so..." Buffy was still backing away, her heels crunching in the shattered remains of the bottle he'd smashed. "I'm so sorry."

"Don' rightly care if you're sorry, Slayer," Spike scrubbed his watery eyes, grimacing against some internal torment. "I'm going to string him up from the highest church steeple, I will. Gonna leave his body black and bruised in the confessional. That's where he cornered sweet Dru the first time, as she told it. Confessed his sins then violated her." 

"Oh my god..." Buffy nearly sobbed, her stomach wasn't strong enough for this. This was the kind of terror Angel had left behind him in his hay day? Abusing nuns?

"An' you're not gonna lift one finger to help him, little girl, or so help me I won't stop myself from killing you too..." Spike ran his eyes down the length of her body, hesitating on her bare legs before ascending again. "Even if I have a soft spot for you now, pet." He nodded at her stake, which felt like dead weight in her hand. "Gonna use that?" 

"I think," Buffy murmured shakily, reaching behind her for the exit doors. "I think I'm going now." Buffy turned quickly and rushed through, through the back and pushed her way past dancers and partiers.

Xander and Willow were still at their table, looking confused and worried. 

"Buffy!" Willow called. 

"Talk later, leaving now," Buffy hastily called out, grabbing her purse and immediately bee lining for the door. 

She'd never run home so fast. 

Buffy could only manage to catch her breath when she made it up the tree and into her bedroom. The lights were dim throughout the house, she didn't want to wake her mom and didn't even think about it as the muscle memory carried her up. In the darkness of her room, Buffy breathed deeply and put her hands against her eyes, trying to let herself catch up to the events of the evening. 

Why was her life such a mess?

Buffy didn't feel the tinglies until after she flipped the light switch. She turned and jumped back against the door, her heart thudding in her throat as she saw Angel standing in the corner of her bedroom, as still as death and eyes dark. 

"Angel, what the hell are you doing in my room?" 

"That dress is very... mature for your age, Buffy," Angel commented calmly, walking towards her slowly. "Didn't we have plans to meet tonight?" His brows drew down and he seemed upset. Annoyed? Something. "I thought you'd be pleased to see me."

"And I thought we were meeting at the Bronze..." Buffy checked the clock, then shook her head ruefully. "Five hours ago." 

"I see..." He nodded. "You're hurt that I wasn't there to dance with you." His tone was so condescending it almost made Buffy want to scream. Upset he didn't dance with her? What was she, some lovelorn thirteen year old? "I understand your frustration, but I cannot always be where you want me to be, Buffy." He cast his eyes aside, looking down. "I don't belong." The way he said it was so dramatic Buffy almost couldn't control the laugh that burbled out of her. 

Angel looked up in surprise, an angry set to his brows. 

"I'm sorry," Buffy apologized between chuckles. "But like, are you serious right now? I'm not mad we didn't dance, I'm disappointed in the way you treat our relationship, and not for the first time." Buffy then reached over and grabbed her fuzzy bathrobe, slipping it over her dress that, while dancing with Spike had made her feel sexy, made her feel naked and vulnerable around Angel. Weird how that was, she thought as she tied the sash. "And I had a fine time at the Bronze, no thanks to you. Had a visit from an old friend of yours, though." 

The bait was set and taken instantly, but Buffy didn't quite like the way Angel reacted. Instantly, his face changed from his passive mask to an angry snarl as he inhaled deeply. The snarl only grew and his eyes tinged yellow. 

"Spike?" Angel stomped forward. 

"Um, smelling me? Gross much?" Buffy quipped anxiously as Angel advanced. 

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "You fought Spike at the Bronze? How are you still alive? What happened?" 

"How am I alive?" Buffy growled in reply. "I'm the Slayer, Angel, I can handle myself." 

"You know nothing about Spike, he is..." Angel's grip was still tense, but his fingers became bruising as his eyes zeroed in on her throat. Buffy horribly realized he probably saw where Spike had been nibbling on her collarbone. Damn hickeys. 

"You are not the girl I thought you were, Buffy," Angel accused darkly. "You are obviously not mature enough to be handling Slayer issues alone. Did you speak with Giles before letting a killer stick his tongue down your throat?"

Buffy grabbed Angel's hands and shoved him off, reaching for her stake once again. "No, Angel, because Giles is my Watcher, not the keeper of my chastity." Buffy brandished the stake and directed it towards the open window. "And you, you need to leave. Right now." 

"You need to understand, Buffy, whatever Spike told you, however he manipulated you, he's lying." Angel began to approach again but Buffy only raised her stake more aggressively. 

"Get out of my bedroom, Angel. I am done warning you. You are making me so uncomfortable right now." 

Angel inched towards the window and then slipped out, keeping his eyes on her until he disappeared in shadow. Buffy closed the window behind him and locked it, closing her bathrobe even tighter. 

Buffy's sleep that night was confused and anxious, her dreams a garbled mess. In the morning, Buffy rolled over on the pillows to find a book she hadn't seen before sitting on her nightstand, a bunch of three pages earmarked. Buffy's blood went cold as she saw it was a book on famous European vampires, and the three pages marked were about Spike, the Slayer of Slayers. 

Buffy wasn't sure which was more terrifying, that the man she'd kissed the previous night had killed two of her sisters or that Angel had been in her room again last night while she slept.


End file.
